Anderson- table of 7

Just a few observations I have made

When we decide to go "out to eat", we have gotten to the point that waiting for 20 minutes really isn't a stretch for a family our size. At one time, we would tell them, we can squeeze into a booth, but those days are over as our children are continuing to grow!

Finding a vehicle is not easy. It has to be large enough for our family, preferably an 8 passenger, plus have enough cargo room for groceries. I know all of you are thinking that any minivan would work for us, but we have been there, done that, yes, they do have 7 seats, but honestly, I don't think they are made to be the only vehicle for a family of 7. For one thing, we have found that it does not have enough cargo space. If we are making a trip to Sam's, we found we had to leave the girls home, otherwise we would not have room for the groceries and tp. Also, we have gotten to the point that we need to look at space, as we travel thousands of miles with 5 kids and a dog and cat, on a monthy basis!! Oh, and those of you who have been to my home know that AWD or 4-wheel drive is a must for us to get up our driveway! (We have found that the GMC Safari, AWD, is the best vehicle for us.)Oh, and anyone looking for an older Dodge caravan, give me a call, I have one that I will sell to you for very cheap!

Staying in hotels can be a challenge. Most hotels will not allow more than 5 people to a room. It can be expensive, and frustrating!!

Sharing 1 bathroom... ha, you can imagine the challenges of that! Especially if we have the flu bug ( praise the Lord, we haven't had to deal with that yet this year!). Modesty takes a sideline when you have 7 people to get ready for church on a Sunday morning! Don't lock the door when taking a shower at my house, you'll hear pounding on the door within minutes, usually followed by an urgent, "MOM! I gotta' go.... BAD!!!"

The amount of laundry that I do on a daily basis is mind-blowing! Of course it doesn't help when you have 4 girls who can never decide what they want to wear.
I love my new washer and dryer, man can you pack a LOT in them!!

I dream of a larger house! 5 bedrooms would be wonderful, with a family/rec room in the basement! 2 bathrooms for the kids, and a master bed and bath for D and I... aww, what a life that would be! And my very own room just for my cardmaking and scrapbooking, and a schoolroom, that I could shut the door on and never have to look at when school is done for the day! It's fun to dream.

I look at my children, and it is all worth it. Our cozy 3 bedroom 1 bath house just allows us to be in constant contact with each other(literally!), it is very easy to know where everyone is and what they are doing at any given moment.

I love my life, and when I say "Anderson, party of 7",I will count my blessings,to soon it will be, "Anderson, party of 2".